Wal-Mart to Launch 3 O.C. Stores in 1 Day

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest retailer in terms of sales, will double its presence in Orange County next month by opening three stores in one day.

Stores in Orange, Santa Ana and Brea will open on Jan. 26. About 250 people will work at each store, meaning the openings will add another 750 jobs to Orange County’s economy.

The Orange store will open at the Mall of Orange at the site of the old Broadway department store, at 2300 N. Tustin Ave. The other two sites: 3600 W. McFadden Ave. in Santa Ana and 2595 E. Imperial Highway in Brea.

Wal-Mart currently has Orange County stores in Anaheim, Laguna Niguel and Foothill Ranch. The company has 33 stores in Southern California.

The Orange County openings won’t come close to Wal-Mart’s one-day record for new store openings. On Jan. 27 of this year, the Bentonville, Ark., discount chain opened 28 stores in the United States.